Parameter study for the miniaturization of a rotary blood pump drive system

Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) are a therapy option for patients suffering from cardiac insufficiency. A VAD can unload the diseased heart and yield its recovery or bridge the time until a suitable donor organ is available. Besides the general requirement of establishing a sufficient perfusion of the human body without affecting the blood cells, a minimal invasive implantation technique relying on minimal dimensions of a VAD is essential to minimize the exposure of the patients. This paper focuses on a parameter study for reducing the dimensions of a VAD drive system. The results obtained by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) are evaluated in terms of ohmic losses, torque and forces.